


Merry and bright

by serendipitous_rambles



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Anne and Gilbert are still competitive, F/M, Matthew is a sweetheart, We love a Christmas fic in August
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 19:17:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20363731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitous_rambles/pseuds/serendipitous_rambles
Summary: Anne is determined to beat Gilbert and give him the perfect Christmas gift, only he seems to have won... again.





	Merry and bright

**Author's Note:**

> On Tumblr (@carrotsofavonlea) we were talking about how it looks like Anne may be wearing some kind of necklace/brooch in some pictures amybeth posted. And realistically it's going to be something completely unrelated to Gilbert but I thought what if it was the heart shaped necklace he gives her?

Anne looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing down her dress (a new one that Matthew had bought for her birthday since she had grown out of her old one). Her red hair was tied back with the blue ribbon Marilla had given her, but alas that wasn't going to save it. 

"Anne! They'll be here soon." Marilla called from the bottom of the stairs.

"Just coming!"

She sighed, looking back one last time in the mirror. _ This was as good as it's going to get _ . 

It had become a tradition that Gilbert, Bash, and now Mary would join them for Christmas dinner every year. This year Anne was prepared and had bought Gilbert a present. Last year he had beaten her by getting her a gift when she hadn't even gotten him one, but she wasn't going to let him get away with it. She was pretty sure she'd gotten him a better gift than he could ever get her. So who will be the winner now Gilbert? Anne, that's who.

Anne skipped merrily down the stairs, eager to get one over Gilbert. 

"You're looking chipper." Marilla commented, "This wouldn't have to do with Gilbert now would it?"

"What? No." Anne said defensively. "Can't I just be excited on Christmas day?"

Marilla nodded, giving her a knowing smile as she went to the kitchen to check on dinner. Anne turned to hear Matthew's heavy footsteps come down the stairs. He smiled when he saw she was wearing her new dress. 

"You look nice." He was always awkward at compliments but Anne knew he tried and that's all that matters.

He held out his hand and Anne curtsied, laughing as he twirled her around.

"That'll be enough of that." Marilla called from the kitchen. "Can't have you knocking anything over before they get here."

Matthew and Anne nodded, before looking at each other and laughing.

There came a knock at the door and Matthew tensed up a tiny bit. He had come to know Gilbert and the Lacroix very well, but it still took a moment before he fully felt comfortable when they first arrived.

Anne touched his arm reassuringly and he went to sit down in the parlour while she answered the door.

"Merry Christmas." Bash smiled, Mary holding his arm.

"Thank you very much for having us at Green Gables." Mary said, holding out a hand for Anne to shake.

"It's no trouble at all, we love having you." Her eyes briefly flicked over to Gilbert who had been watching her the whole time.

Bash and Mary stepped in, greeting Matthew in the parlour who offered to take their coats. Gilbert lingered at the door with Anne, his hand in his pocket.

"Anne." He smiled in greeting.

She tried to seem indifferent to his company, "Gilbert."

She closed the door behind him and when she turned around he was holding out a small wrapped parcel. 

_ I got you a bigger present _ : she grinned to herself, proud that she was going to beat him and he didn't even know it yet.

"Merry Christmas, Anne." He smiled, handing her the gift. 

"I got you something too." She said, leading him to the tree where she knelt down and swapped the gift she'd bought him for the one he'd given her.

"Here," she gave him the larger gift and he seemed surprised.

"You didn't have to get me anything." He turned it over in his hands. It was neatly wrapped in brown paper with a string bow tied around it. Pretty.

"Now we're even." She shrugged and he looked up, a little disappointed. Oh, that's why she did it...

"Open it then." She said, eagerly waiting.

He smiled, carefully unwrapping the paper. It was a leather bound notebook. It must have cost an awful lot.

"Anne you didn't have to do this." 

"Do you like it?"

"Of course I do. Thank you." He felt like he should hug her, but not in front of Bash who would never let him hear the end of it.

"Now you can keep all your medical notes in a professional book." She felt smug, no way had he gotten her a more perfect gift than this.

"I mean it Anne, thank you." He seemed so genuinely happy and she felt a little embarrassed for some reason under his gaze.

"Dinner will be ready soon." Marilla announced, "Anne please blow out the candles on the tree."

Anne nodded, blowing out the candles while everyone else left to the table. Gilbert lingered, nervously looked over his shoulder, then back at Anne. He'd picked up her gift from under the tree and handed it to her.

"Open it?" He seemed nervous and she knew why. He obviously saw how amazing her present was and just wanted to get the embarrassment out the way.

She smiled, ready to act surprised as she unwrapped it. But as she did her breath caught in her throat. It was a small box and inside was a small, pink, heart shaped necklace. She gasped and looked up at Gilbert who was awkwardly shuffling on his feet. 

"This is…" she couldn't find the words to describe it. No one had ever bought her jewelry before. "Gilbert…"

"I saw it in the pawn shop and I knew you wouldn't want it to stay sat on the shelf when it could have a new life."

"Thank you for saving it." She took it out the box and held it up. "It's too beautiful, it should be appreciated."

"It should." She was too busy admiring the necklace to see the way Gilbert was looking at her, as if directing that sentiment towards her.

"May I?" He held up his hands to take the necklace from her and she slowly handed it to him, turning around.

She pulled her hair away from her neck as he gently placed the necklace around her, clasping it in place. Even though he was nervous, his hands remained steady. She just hoped he couldn't tell her face matched the necklace when she turned around.

Gilbert was smiling softly at her, looking down at the necklace briefly before meeting her gaze.

Her hand reached up to hold the pendant, "It's lovely. Thank you, Gilbert."

"We should join the others." He laughed nervously, looking over his shoulder.

"I'll be right there." She smiled and he nodded, turning to leave to the kitchen.

She watched him walk away, still touching the necklace. Maybe he had beaten her again with the gifts. But next year she wasn't going to let him win. Not a chance.

**Author's Note:**

> (I know this isn't how she gets the necklace in the books but we're going with it ok )


End file.
